Body Armor- Whats the best for the money!?

[Trick_LP]

I m new so ill do a quick summary of what I do aside from being a Loss Prevention guy.

Im in the contracting world of private protection. The latest and greatest contractor who is up and coming offered me a Supervisor spot.

What i used before was Military Level IV protection so stepping back in the direction of IIA and II is where we are headed. The question is about quality versus price.

Alright ladies and gentleman heres your opportunity to bash on your body armor. Dont hold back either.

I hope I dont ever "need" it per say but I want something thats going to hold up to most pistols. If im facing a high powered rifle that means someone has already failed to do their job so level III and up is up in the air.

Thanks in advance!

[Trick_LP]

bump

[Trick_LP]

WHAT~!?

Does nobody use body armor HERE!

You cuys are killing me.

[Sipowicz]

All right, I'll bite to some extent.

I have not gone out and purchased my own brand new body armor. I have purchased second hand body armor mainly because of cost. Also, my position as non-sworn doesn't necessarily put me in nasty, harmful situations. That said, something is certainly better then nothing.

IMHO, cost shouldn't be the sole reason for buying a vest. Essentially, you are putting a value on your life. At the same time, you only have so much money available. That said, here's my thought process.

All of the levels of protection have given criteria required to achieve labeling of said protection level. So, all of the body armor out there, made by however many companies make it, all meet the same minimum standards. Therefore, in theory, they are all fundamentally equal.

Now, some companies may use different ballistic material, and others may add features not required by the ballistic level ratings. Of course, these all cost more money.

What do I think the key is? How the vest fits. You're gonna be wearing this thing for a long shift (8 to 12 hour shifts, and maybe more). If you get an uncomfortable vest, it just makes the day that much longer. The first vest I have I stopped wearing because of this. At the time I just wanted something, but I didn't consider the comfort, and it caused many a long shift. The one I use now is far more comfortable and less bothersome then the first.

Here's my thinking. You want the most protection for the money. Try different vests on to see how they feel, choosing the ballistic protection level you minimally want. Then figure the cost. These three things (IMHO) have to be balanced to get the best vest for your money.

I believe for sworn officers there is federal money available to offset vest expenditures. It's not available for non-sworn (me) so I wouldn't think it is available to the private sector either.

[Trick_LP]

No private monies this time however the sidearm is provided so I kind of catch a break there. i am unsure to the hours yet but ill keep you posted.

Any brand suggestions?

Thanks for the response finally!

[jaguarjw16]

alright man, i'll tell you what i use. I have a zero G vest, and i know that it will hold up to 9mm rnds. Still hurts like a mother but it saved my life. I haven't heard anything bad about it yet. Everyone i work with wears the same thing and we all love it. They can run a little pricey but for the most part great gear.

[Trick_LP]

Zero G is actually what the group themselves is going with, but I hadnt heard anything about concealable body armor really. Everything I ve done has been out in the open for the world too see. The idea always being to project the image of "fully prepared" but now the role is a little more high profile and stateside so I get to go incognito.

Thanks for the insight.

Sounds like those guys are on the right track. I want to say they were going with Zero G Silver.

Like I said before though, its one of those "hope I dont need it" things but better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it.

[zap]

Even with all the huff and fluff....Second Chance sold more vests the VERY DAY they were sold to Armor Holdings...than all the other vest manufacterers combined.

While everyone thinks it is fashionable to bash them and sue them....they still buy their vests.

They got a bad deal over the zylon issue....they were the ones who blew the whistle and had the most to loose...but everyone jumped on the bandwagon to blame them. If they were not a top notch company with our lives their top priority...they never would have published the results of their test related to the zylon.


btw....level IIa is going away. Level 2 is going to be the lowest protection you will be able to get soon.

[gonzo1510]

I am also non-sworn, I'm an armored car guard. The company I work for issues Safariland level III-A extended coverage. It is a good vest but it's really not made for the type of work that I do.... I moonlight as a security guard an the side so for that type of work the vest is fine....

if cost is an issue point blank does make a vest for gall's or quartermasters not sure which. Check either site. Just remember, all vests must be NIJ certified so ultimately, you have to decide which name you want to buy.

[Trick_LP]

Well after looking into it it would seem that we found a surplus dealer and they are offering a group buy.

The company is faced with the fact that we will only be using concealed body armor for 1/3 or less of our contracts. Everything else will be level IV and out in the open as per my request (finally got them listening).

Thanks for all the feedback though. Ill let you know what brands we end up with second hand.